Get too close to the flame

I finally got pictures of my Loop Entrelac Tank. I actually finished it a week ago, but had the darnedest time getting photos. I had a friend take some shots last weekend, but the sun was SO BRIGHT and the shots were disgustingly blown out, even with editing (which I don’t generally like to do), so I had to figure out a way to take some self-portraits one afternoon after work.

Of course, work EXPLODED this week and I’m not entirely sure when it will settle down, so getting home in time to catch the light was less than easy. But I did it, and finally, finally uploaded the photos to show off my new project.

I have to figure out what’s happening with my arms and the armholes on sweaters, because this is at least the second time that my armscye has been too deep. Hence the camisole worn underneath the tank (it’s generally a good idea to wear something under your handknits anyway, as the oils in your skin stick to and break down fibers anyway, except man-made fibers). Anyway, I finished, it fits, it’s awesome, and I love it.

Oh, you want more discussion. Okay then.

I like the ribbing on the back of this, as it adds some visual interest and creates some support for the fabric. Speaking of supporting the fabric, I detoured a bit from Allyson’s original instructions. When it came to seaming as you go, I was a no go. I just could not wrap my head around it and work it in a way that was attractive to me, so I did mattress stitched my seams at the end.

(Taking pictures of yourself with a heavy-ish DSLR is not easy, by the by.) I also did lifted increases along the sides of the front panel, instead of yarnovers, as my yarnovers were coming out sort of big, even after I twisted them on the return row. I usually have this problem with yarnovers, so I wasn’t too surprised. And I like the way my lifted increases look.

And then there’s the entrelac! My first ever entrelac. It was a little addictive. Once I got the hang of it, I kept saying “One more row” for about 10 rows before I realized I really should go to sleep. I did have some trouble getting the fabric to look acceptable to my standards. I ended up working twisted stitches along the selvedge edges, to tighten them up, and even twisting the purl stitches along the second tiers (I think it was the second tiers). If you, like me, have loose tensioning when knitting, you might want to try experimenting with twisting your stitches or using smaller needles than the yarn calls for.

Speaking of yarn, I really enjoyed using the Knit Picks Shine Sport. It’s a slighty thinner sport than the yarn Allyson used in the pattern, so I had to fidget with the length of my entrelac straps (I worked about 20 total repeats instead of the 17 the pattern specified). But the cotton and modal make for a super smooth, buttery-soft yarn. I loved these colors too. I wanted two colors that would pop, but not eye-gougingly so.

A couple of people have mentioned that they thought this tank would draw the attention to the bust area, and it totally can. If you’re a “rounder” gal and you opt to make this tank, here’s my advice: Choose a lighter color for the strap and side panels and a darker color for the front and back panels. The genius of this design is that those side panels can act as eye-attracters, drawing the eye inwards and upwards, giving the illusion of an hourglass figure. The darker color will also be slimming on the tummy area, and don’t we all love that. If you’re a busty gal, or someone who doesn’t want so much attention on her bust, reverse that direction: place the lighter color on the front and back panels and a darker color on the straps and side panels. And if you’re just generally a modest gal of a general figure, try tone-on-tone colors: A medium gray and an inky black, or a lilac and deep aubergine purple, for instance. It won’t really matter which color you use for which sections, though the lighter color will draw more attention, so be mindful of that.

In addition to being a super cute tank, this makes the fifth adult-sized garment out of the six I need to meet my goal! And I need to make my mom’s Christmas cardigan, so barring some sort of disaster, I should easily make my objective! This makes me happy! I’m using exclamation points for over emphasis!

I’ve started thinking ahead to 2011 and what I want to achieve for the rest of the year. I seriously want to bust my stash in a big way (this is not being helped by the yarn store down the street closing, and having a serious sale on all their stock). I want to make more garments, and I feel like 6 is a good general number for a goal. I also want to try to bust out 12 socks next year, a pair a month. I feel like these are all achievable goals, though who knows what the new year will bring. And even though we still have three and a half months left in this year, I have already created and organized a new Ravelry queue, comprised of patterns that are free or that I already have and matching them with yarns from my stash.

Now, if only I could apply such a devotion to organization to my house-cleaning skills.